Restaurant Style Slow-Cooker Dal Tadka

Back when we used to visit the Indian buffet several times a week, one of my favorite dishes was the yellow lentil “soup” which I now know is called dal tadka. It’s basically a lentil curry that can be eaten over rice or with naan. Since I’ve learned more about Indian food, I’ve been learning how to make it at home and what spices are necessary to get the delicious flavors out.

My in-laws are from India so when we’ve been visiting them I pick up tips and tricks on making our favorite dishes and my mother-in-law walks me through how to make some of them. She showed me how to make dal, chana masala, bhindi, and rotis the last time we were there. I’ve modified slightly for us since we don’t have the same cookware as them and we also tend to use more oil in our cooking (with the stainless steel pans we have, it’s a must).

Dal tadka can be made in a slow cooker – requiring minimal attention. It even works in an Instant Pot on the slow cook setting. It’s seriously one of the easiest dishes I’ve made and you’ll definitely have leftovers unless you’re feeding a small army. It takes about 4 hours on high heat, and the best part is you don’t have to babysit it!

After 3 hours, heat olive oil to medium-high heat on stovetop and add all tempering ingredients

5

Allow cumin seeds to sizzle and then remove from heat

6

Add all tempering ingredients to slow cooker

7

Cook for an additional hour, checking the texture of lentils prior to serving. If they are not to your liking, cook additional time to achieve desired texture. Yellow lentils take longer than red lentils from what I’ve found 60 Minutes

8

Top with fenugreek leaves, fresh chopped cilantro, and serve with rice or your favorite bread (naan, roti, or paratha)

9

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories226

% Daily Value *

Total Fat4.6g8%

Total Carbohydrate35.4g12%

Dietary Fiber6g24%

Sugars2g

Protein12.5g25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Directions

After 3 hours, heat olive oil to medium-high heat on stovetop and add all tempering ingredients

5

Allow cumin seeds to sizzle and then remove from heat

6

Add all tempering ingredients to slow cooker

7

Cook for an additional hour, checking the texture of lentils prior to serving. If they are not to your liking, cook additional time to achieve desired texture. Yellow lentils take longer than red lentils from what I’ve found 60 Minutes

8

Top with fenugreek leaves, fresh chopped cilantro, and serve with rice or your favorite bread (naan, roti, or paratha)